Category: Religion

Each year, the Normandy Kaddish Project asks synagogues across the nation to say kaddish for those who lost their lives in World War II at Normandy and are buried at the Normandy American Cemetery. This year, the Shabbat closest to the anniversary of D-Day will begin on June 3rd. There are 149 American Jewish graves at the Normandy American Cemetery. These […]

A special post from National Museum of American Jewish Military History Chaplain Michael Bloom on Independence Day and its connections to Jewish tradition. At this time of year we celebrate the American Spirit, symbolized by the most important day in American life – the 4th of July – and the signing of the Declaration of Independence – an event […]

For the second year, the Normandy Kaddish Project is requesting that people around the country and the world say kaddish at Shabbat services on June 5th for those that fell in the vicious fighting in 1944 at Normandy. June 6th is the anniversary of D-Day, when the Allied invasion of Normandy began. There are 149 American Jewish graves at the Normandy American Cemetery. These names […]

Sunday, March 8, 2015, 1:00 p.m. Lee Mandel on Chaplain Roland Gittelsohn: Unlikely Warrior Michael Bloom on the History of the Military Siddur In 1945, when a fellow chaplain opposed Jewish participation in the religious service dedicating the 5th Marine Division Cemetery at Iwo Jima, Rabbi Roland Gittelsohn ended up giving his eulogy to a much smaller group of Jewish […]

The DoD recently updated their “Accommodation of Religious Practices Within the Military Services” directive. The existing directive had been in place since 1988 and was well due for a refresh. Our military has always consisted of members of diverse religious backgrounds, but in an environment that stresses uniformity of appearance the outward expression of that diversity is often hidden. Ironically […]

Rabbi Ruth Adar, the “Coffee Shop Rabbi,” recently wrote up a fantastic guide to integrating with one’s synagogue community. In ten succinct tips, she maps out a route for getting connected with your congregation while avoiding pitfalls that can leave you feeling like a perpetual outsider. So strongly did her list resonate with me that I immediately filed it away […]

Tablet Magazine has another article by Chaplain David Frommer, this time about his experience during Tisha B’av in Kuwait. He draws a parallel between the catastrophe associated with Tisha B’av and his own unfortunate circumstances. However, after some introspection Frommer comes to realize that even out of destruction comes hope. Knowing little about the holiday other than the fact that […]